July 31, 2014

The Center For Architecture (CFA) Design|Build Program explores temporary urban installations that activate underutilized spaces throughout the city. This year the CFA is calling for designers to enter creative concepts that push the boundaries of the Portland Street Seat program. With the theme of “Active Streets” designers shall program their installations to create healthy, social and playful structures for parking spaces in front of the CFA in the Pearl District. A jury will select up to three winning proposals to be built and installed for the duration of the festival.

PROGRAM

The designs shall be for a temporary and freestanding installation that responds to the theme of “Active Streets.” It will start at the CFA on Parking Day (September 20, 2014) and last through Design Week Portland and the month of October. Utilizing the design guidelines of Portland’s Street Seats (see section E below) the project will be a model for future street seat designs that address public space activation. The design shall provide a place for people to sit/gather/interact during Design Week Portland events.

Alberta Main Street may offer to adopt the installations and reinstall them along Alberta Street upon completion of the program. This is still in the early planning phases and we will update teams as we find out more information. If this fails to materialize, program organizers ask that the teams with selected designs find a life for the installations after they need to be removed. This can include reinstalling them outside their studios, selling them to local businesses or, preferably, donated to a nonprofit. Either way, the design should be easily disassembled and moved.

LOCATION

Up to 3 winning submissions will be constructed in the parking spaces on NW Flanders Street, outside the Center for Architecture, 403 NW 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209. The projects will start at the second spot in from the intersection of NW Flanders St and NW 11th Ave, and will use the next two consecutive parking spaces to its west. See illustration below:

The winning teams will receive a stipend for project costs including, but not limited to, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation. The stipend will be split evenly between the selected teams with a total amount of $6000. (If one team is selected they receive $6000, if two are selected they each receive $3000, and if 3 are selected each team receives $2000)

Project costs may exceed the stipend amount, but additional funding above and beyond the stipend is the sole responsibility of the entrant.

Entrants are encouraged to utilize private fundraising or donations to help fund their proposals beyond the stipend amount. The Jury will take under consideration the source and amount of any additional funding to ensure that the funding can be secured and installation can be completed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Each selected team will be awarded one of three spots in front of the CFA to install their street seat design.

If selected to build their project, it is the sole responsibility of the entrant to complete all off-site fabrication and project preparation in advance of the project installation day.

On the project installation day, it is the sole responsibility of the entrant to complete project installation prior to the end of the day (5:00pm). Entrants will need to provide their own teams to assist with and complete installation on-site, if necessary.

It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to completely remove the installation prior to the end of the day on November 3, 2014 (5:00pm). Entrants will need to provide their own teams to assist with and complete de-installation on-site, if necessary.

The Street Seat platform will sit on top of the existing street surface. The design should not include any bolts/anchors or other elements that require disturbing the street surface or sidewalk.

Facility may not extend beyond six (6) feet from the curb line.

The maximum length of the platform must not be longer than twenty (20) feet.

Platform must be designed to allow for curbline stormwater drainage.

Platform should be as level as possible and flush with the sidewalk height. At least 12 feet of the platform must be flush with the sidewalk for wheelchair access.

Platform design must include a physical barrier along the street while maintaining clear visual sight lines to the street. Vertical elements, such as planters and umbrellas, should be included so that the facility is visible to vehicles.

The sidewalk‐facing side of the platform must be accessible for pedestrians.

The platform shall not be permanent. It should be removable.

The use of durable materials capable of withstanding year‐round use is required.

Only one entry is needed per submission. If working in a team, only one member of the team needs to register.

Entry Fees:

$25 USD for student/emerging professional/unemployed submissions

$50 USD for professional/firm submissions

SUBMISSIONAll submissions will be completely digital and must follow the specific requirements outlined below. Please submit your entry as a single .ZIP file emailed to this address: streetseats@cfaoregon.org. Please ensure your .zip file is below 10mb. Registrations/submissions are due at 5:00pm PDT on August 19, 2014.

Entrant information page (as a single word document)

8 ½ x 11 page size (1 page limit)

Provide in a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx)

Project title

Team Name(s)

Physical address

Email address

Phone number

Project narrative (as a single Word document)

8 ½ x 11 page size (1 page limit)

Provide in a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx)

400 words maximum

Include project title and narrative only, no other identifying information

Project Graphics (Up to 10 single-sided pages)

11×17 page size

Provide in a single PDF file

150 ppi resolution

Minimum (2) project renderings

Minimum (1) plan drawing

Minimum (2) section drawings

Minimum (2) elevation drawings

it is encouraged to include assembly diagrams

Include project title only, no other identifying information

Formatting and graphic layout of each page is up to the team

Detailed Budget

What is the total cost to build your design?

Itemized material list

Cost estimate

Outline any additional funding, if applicable (where is it coming from and what will it cover?)

Provide in a PDF format

Include project title only, no other identifying information

Note: any cost overruns shall be covered by the team.

Build Schedule

Off-site build schedule leading up to September 19, 2014 installation day

Provide in a PDF format

Include project title only, no other identifying information

EXECUTION

MATERIALS:Each team will be given the following set of materials to use for the fabrication of their design. The stipend above should be used to purchase any additional items necessary to execute the fabrication of your design.

FABRICATION:Each team is responsible for supplying the labor needed to build their installations. We strongly encourage you engage a contractor early in the design process to ensure your concept is buildable on time and on budget. We will have some Fabricators volunteer time to help each team fabricated their designs. Rob Slattery has kindly offered each team a couple days in his workshop to complete and assemble the final installations.

AWARDS

Up to Three (3) winners will be selected by the jury and invited to build and display their project on one of three locations outside the CFA (403 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97209) from September 20, 2014 through November 3, 2014, including Parking Day and Design Week Portland events.

The award stipend will be dispersed evenly between the selected teams totalling $6000 to help offset the cost of construction of their street seat design. (If one team is selected they receive $6000, if two are selected they each receive $3000 and if 3 are selected each team receives $2000)

Submissions (winning or non-winning) may be displayed to the public in a gallery during Design Week Portland and on the Center for Architecture website.

Unbuilt Award(s) for creative design will be awarded at the discretion of the Jury.

DISCLAIMERThe Center for Architecture becomes the rights holder for all images and submissions for the competition. The CFA, Design Week Portland and the City of Portland may use any images from the entries in promotional material for the festival as well as the Portland Street Seat Program.

July 28, 2014

In her New Orleans neighborhood, artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang turned an abandoned house into a giant chalkboard asking a fill-in-the-blank question: “Before I die I want to ___.” Her neighbors' answers -- surprising, poignant, funny -- became an unexpected mirror for the community. (What's your answer?)

Candy Chang creates art that prompts people to think about their secrets, wishes and hopes -- and then share them. She is a TED Senior Fellow.

July 21, 2014

Make a city beautiful, curb corruption. Edi Rama took this deceptively simple path as mayor of Tirana, Albania, where he instilled pride in his citizens by transforming public spaces with colorful designs. With projects that put the people first, Rama decreased crime -- and showed his citizens they could have faith in their leaders. (Filmed at TEDxThessaloniki.)

From 2000 to 2011 Edi Rama was the mayor of Tirana, where he implemented a series of reforms to take back the city for the people.

July 14, 2014

How do we solve the problem of the suburbs? Urbanist Jeff Speck shows how we can free ourselves from dependence on the car -- which he calls "a gas-belching, time-wasting, life-threatening prosthetic device" -- by making our cities more walkable and more pleasant for more people.

July 7, 2014

Britta Riley wanted to grow her own food (in her tiny apartment). So she and her friends developed a system for growing plants in discarded plastic bottles -- researching, testing and tweaking the system using social media, trying many variations at once and quickly arriving at the optimal system. Call it distributed DIY. And the results? Delicious. (Filmed at TEDxManhattan .)

Britta Riley designs and builds urban farms and other participatory artworks that explore the city.